Business Travel News - August 24, 2009 - (Page 14)

TRAVEL MANAGER SALARY & ATTITUDE SURVEY Frozen Salaries, Job Cuts Dim Travel Buyers’ Optimism BY CHRIS DAVIS The 26th edition of BTN’s annual Travel Manager Salary & Attitude Survey is perhaps its bleakest. Those travel buyers fortunate enough to still draw a salary report a sharp increase in pay freezes and growing pessimism about their future compensation and the opportunities the industry holds, and those who already have lost positions face a dreary job market with no clear indication of any imminent turnaround. The survey of 250 travel buyers does, however, report some good news: Average salaries have increased from last year’s survey, and respondents were far less pessimistic about their own career paths than they were for those of the industry at large. The average salary of a typical travel buyer—an umbrella term for the purposes of the survey that encompasses a broad spectrum of job titles and responsibilities—approached $100,000, and that of the typical travel manager cracked $105,000. However, despite universal hope that the worst of the recession has passed, most travel managers don’t feel optimistic about their salaries— 38 percent of respondents, in fact, had their pay frozen in the past year and 20 percent expect a pay cut in the next 12 months—and there’s still fear that they can be pink-slipped at any time. “Career success this year is holding on to your job,” said Dawn Penfold, president of Southern Pines, N.C.-based meetings industry employment firm Meetingjobs. “There have been heavy layoffs and downsizing, and people are being asked to do the same work in fewer hours.” Corporations of all sizes have reacted to the recession by cutting corporate travel spending and employees, which very frequently has led to smaller in-house corporate travel departments. Those buyers who remain in many cases have had to assume the workloads of one, or even several, of their fallen coworkers. “Anyone and everyone is looking for a job,” said Carol Ann Salcito, president of Norwalk, Conn.-based travel management consulting firm Management Alternatives. “I don’t know anyone who isn’t overworked, overburdened, overtaxed, overeverything.” In consequence, some corporate travel programs have become less effective. “There’s a lot of very good travel programs that, if you validated them today, would be horrible because the 2009 Travel Manager Salary & Attitude Survey people in charge of them are not familiar with the travel industry or the corporate culture,” according to Salcito. “At other companies, travel management is strong because the travel managers know how to talk to senior management. There, people are listening.” While doing the work of several employees and a pervasive hope that travel costcutting has peaked may be enough to allow companies to stop laying off travel managers, there remains the possibility—likelihood, even— of more, should finances not improve quickly. “It’s slowed down a bit from the beginning of the year, but people with jobs feel fortunate to have jobs. They’re minding their Ps and Qs. No fam trips. No golf outings. They’re making sure their jobs can’t be perceived as fluffy or fun,” according to Penfold. “Make yourself indispensable. Don’t be complacent.” There’s no particular level in the corporate hiContinued on page 20 Salary, Bonuses And Incentives As Of January 1, 2009 2009 Travel Managers1 <$40,000 $40,000-$49,999 $50,000-$59,999 $60,000-$69,999 $70,000-$79,999 $80,000-$89,999 $90,000-$99,999 $100,000-$149,999 $150,000+ Average 1 2 2008 Travel Buyers2 5% 10% 6% 10% 8% 9% 13% 25% 14% Travel Managers1 3% 5% 8% 12% 13% 12% 13% 19% 15% $100,402 Travel Buyers2 4% 7% 9% 11% 13% 12% 11% 23% 10% $93,290 2007 Travel Managers1 2% 5% 9% 16% 10% 9% 16% 20% 13% $97,161 Travel Buyers2 5% 7% 11% 14% 10% 6% 14% 20% 11% $92,494 1% 8% 4% 8% 9% 11% 15% 31% 14% $105,075 $98,131 Includes 159 respondents with the titles of travel manager, supervisor, travel vice president or director only. Includes 250 travel managers, supervisors, specialists, advisors and coordinators, meeting and conference managers, supervisors, planners and coordinators, travel vice presidents and directors, as well as purchasing and transportation managers or supervisors. 14 Monday, August 24, 2009 www.BTNonline.com Business Travel News http://www.BTNonline.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Business Travel News - August 24, 2009

Business Travel News - August 24, 2009
Contents
Inside Track
Profiles In Travel Mgmt
2009 Travel Manager Salary & Attitude Survey
Forum
Aviation
Lodging
Payment & Expense
Meetings Today
Travel Management
Travel Management Tech
EuroBTN
Destinations

Business Travel News - August 24, 2009